By Dr. Ryan W. Nelson

A baby’s first eye exam is essential to rule out congenital cataracts and other neonatal eye conditions.  If these problems are not detected soon after birth, vision will not develop properly.  The eye doctors at Iowa EyeCare  recommend that even if no eye or vision problems are apparent, at about age 6 months, you should take your baby to your doctor of optometry for his or her first thorough eye examination.

All newborn babies have poor vision, about 20/400 (the top letter on the eye chart).  Color vision, visual details, eye movement skills and depth perception, improve during the first few months of life.

The American Optometric Association and the doctors at Iowa EyeCare agree that parents should watch for signs of eye or vision problems and engage their child in age-appropriate visual activities:

There are many things parents can do to help their baby’s vision develop properly. The following are some examples of age-appropriate activities that can assist an infant’s visual development.

Birth to four months

• Use a nightlight or other dim lamp in your baby’s room.
• Change the crib’s position frequently and change your child’s position in it.
• Keep reach-and-touch toys within your baby’s focus, about eight to twelve inches.
• Talk to your baby as you walk around the room.
• Alternate right and left sides with each feeding.

Five to eight months

• Give the baby plenty of time to play and explore on the floor.
• Provide plastic or wooden blocks that can be held in the hands.
• Play patty cake and other games, moving the baby’s hands through the motions while saying the words aloud.

Nine to twelve months

• Play hide and seek games with toys or your face to help the baby develop visual memory.
• Name objects when talking to encourage the baby’s word association and vocabulary development skills.
• Encourage crawling and creeping.

One to two years

• Roll a ball back and forth to help the child track objects with the eyes visually.
• Give the child building blocks and balls of all shapes and sizes to play with to boost fine motor skills and small muscle development.
• Read or tell stories to stimulate the child’s ability to visualize and pave the way for learning and reading skills.

If you have additional questions or concerns regarding your newborn, contact the eye doctors at Iowa EyeCare now.  Our phone number is 319-377-2222.  We have office locations in Cedar Rapids, Marion, and Robins, Iowa.

Information in this article has been re-posted from The Eye Doc Blog (www.theeyedocblog.com).

Results from a pilot study conducted by doctors at the New England College of Optometry* were recently presented at Optometry’s Meeting and the American Academy of Optometry.  In the study, subjects were examined using the methods of traditional ophthalmoscopy and optomap^®assisted ophthalmoscopy, where an ultra-wide field retinal image from the  optomap^® guides the retinal examination.

Forty subjects underwent undilated imaging with the optomap^®. Subjects were then dilated and underwent traditional ophthalmoscopy and optomap^®assisted ophthalmoscopy. The traditional exam consisted of BIO and slit lamp biomicrosopy with precorneal lenses. Optomap^®assisted ophthalmoscopy was identical to traditional, with the exception that the doctor reviewed optomap^® Images before performing their BIO examination. A masked Reader graded the optomap^® Images of all subjects. A retinal specialist examined 28 of the 40 subjects and served as the gold standard.

Sensitivity and specificity of the optomap^® Image review in detecting retinal lesions were compared to sensitivity and specificity of both traditional and optomap^®assisted ophthalmoscopy. The results indicate that using optomap^® Images increases pathology detection. Sensitivity of the Reader (image review alone) outperformed traditional ophthalmoscopy by approximately 15%, while sensitivity of optomap^®assisted ophthalmoscopy outperformed traditional ophthalmoscopy by approximately 30%. Specificity was comparable across all methods.

“I believe the increased sensitivity is due to the optomap^® field of view and in part to the software capabilities. Being able to magnify and zoom-in, adjust the gamma, contrast and brightness as well as using the individual red and green laser separations allows the examiner to really hone in on areas of interest,” said Kristen Brown, OD, FAAO, the Principal Investigator.

Data from a statistically powered study is currently being analyzed, with results expected in 2010.

Schedule an appointment with one of the eye doctors at Iowa EyeCare today to have your eyes examined.

*Independent clinical study conducted by Kristen Brown, OD, FAAO 1,2, Jeanette Sewell, OD 1,2, Tom Travison, PhD3. 1New England Eye Institute, Boston, MA; 2New England College of Optometry, Boston, MA; 3New England Research Institute, Watertown, MA.

Click here to learn how the Optomap saved this young mother's life.

By Dr. Kimberly Cruise

Look your best . Maximize your performance . Achieve more

If your eye doctor has told you that you’re not a candidate for contact lenses or you’ve tried contact lenses before and stopped, it’s time for you to try again!

The new generations of contact lenses are more comfortable and provide better vision than ever.  Most new lenses now have:

• Better optics
• Better oxygen transmission
• More moisture
• UV sunlight protection

New contact lens materials and designs have made contact lenses available to nearly everyone.  Contact lenses have been redesigned for nearly all types of vision correction:

• Astigmatism
• Near-sighted (myopia)
• Far-sighted (hyperopia)
• Bifocals (presbyopia)
• Keratoconus

Contact lenses are also designed to change or enhance eye color. 

Did you know…

Contact lenses will soon help deliver medications to the eye.  The goal of the new contact lens drug-delivery system is to provide a constant stream of therapeutic medicine in a way that reduces drug-induced side effects.

All contact lenses are considered a medical device.  Even contact lenses without vision correction require a prescription.

Schedule a contact lens consultation with one of our Cedar Rapids eye doctors today.

Learn more about contact lenses:

http://www.iowaeyecare.com/contacts.html

Your questions answered:

http://www.iowaeyecare.com/contacts-faq.html

Ancient Egyptian eye makeup may have been more therapeutic than cosmetic.

In the days of the ancient Egyptian empire, the Nile River delta was a place where eye infections were likely commonplace, as sanitation and hygiene practices were not established. 

The periodical, Analytical Chemistry, recently published an article regarding the lead-based compounds found in the tombs of ancient Egyptians.  Their conclusion is that “lead-based compounds were used during antiquity as both pigments and medicines in the formulation of makeup materials.”

 ”According to ancient Egyptian manuscripts,” says Analytical Chemistry, ”these were essential remedies for treating eye illness and skin ailments. This conclusion seems amazing because today we focus only on the well-recognized toxicity of lead salts.”  Analytical Chemistry goes on to say that, “one may argue that these lead compounds were deliberately manufactured and used in ancient Egyptian formulations to prevent and treat eye illnesses by promoting the action of immune cells.”

In modern times, ocular infections still cause problems for millions of people each year.  If you think you might have an infection, walk like an Egyptian to Iowa EyeCare.  Iowa EyeCare has a doctor on-call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, call 319-377-2222.

Contact Iowa EyeCare in Cedar Rapids, Marion, or Robins, Iowa. 

Eye Trivia:

Good eye muscle skills are a critical part of having good vision.  Eye muscles work as a team to help us track moving objects as well as fixate on still targets. They help us in nearly every task throughout the day; tasks such as reading, driving, watching TV, or pouring a cup of coffee.

Did You Know?  Eye movement is controlled by SIX different muscles!  Eye muscles controlling movement are located behind the eye.  You won’t see them looking in the mirror.  Each muscle is attached to the globe of the eye on one end and to the bony orbit at its opposite end.

The Eye Muscles

The eye muscle names:

• Superior Rectus
• Inferior Rectus
• Lateral Rectus
• Medial Rectus
• Superior Oblique
• Inferior Oblique

As you may already know, muscles shorten when they are stimulated to contract.  Therefore it makes sense that the superior rectus moves the eye upward.  The inferior rectus moves the eye downward, the medial and lateral recti move the eye in and out, respectively.  The superior and inferior oblique muscles help the rectus muscles and allow for torsional rotation of the eye.

If you or your child has a problem with the eye muscles in any way will limit visual function and can lead to many problems, including double vision and poor binocularity.  Assessment of the eye muscles is included with examination at Iowa EyeCare.

Contact us in Marion, Robins, or Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for an appointment.

If you have a question about eyes or vision, leave a comment

By Dr. Ryan Nelson

Since attending professional school at Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, Tennessee, I’ve been a heavy coffee drinker.   I still think about cramming for a test with my classmates every time I walk into a coffee shop.  The latte and the expresso have been introduced to every street corner in America (Yes, even in Iowa) and most of us are guilty of buying a mocha-choka-somethin’ at one time or another.  I thought you’d like to know how all this coffee and caffeine might be affecting your eyes and vision. 

Physiologically, when caffeine is consumed it stimulates our central nervous system (our brain).  Because of these direct  affects on the brain, caffeine is  known to cause blurred vision as well as eyelid twitching or ”eyelid myokymia”.  Although caffeine is a psychoactive stimulant drug, it is considered a safe food substance by the United States Food and Drug Administration.

Caffeine is an ingredient in some prescription pain medications.  It has also been included in oral diet supplements.  Don’t forget that prescription medications are regulated by the United States FDA, diet supplements are not.  For those who regularly consume high amounts of caffeine can expect to have withdrawal symptoms, which may include headache, irritability, drowsiness, and upset stomach.  I think most physicians would agree with me that moderation is the key.

After doing some additional research on wikapedia I discovered that caffiene is found naturally in coffee plants where it acts as a pesticide.  Now there’s some food for thought!

Do not despair coffee drinkers.   There are plenty of benefits to consider including lowering your risk of colon cancer, Parkinsons, and diabetes.  Caffeine may also help prevent cavities and temporarily boost your athletic ability.

Do you have dry eyes? Your not alone, Dry Eye Syndrome affects an estimated 3.23 million women and 1.68 million men in the United States each year. Did you know that caffeine may help relieve dry eye symptoms?  More research needs to be done, surely, but an article from Review of Ophthalmology in September, 2000, reported that those who drink coffee are 25% less likely to experience dry eye.  Learn more about Dry Eye on the Iowa EyeCare website.

To schedule an eye exam with an eye doctor at Iowa EyeCare call 319-377-2222 or Schedule an appointment online.  Iowa EyeCare has locations in Marion, Cedar Rapids, and Robins, Iowa.

By Dr. David Christensen

Artificial Tears

Most of us experience dry eye from time to time.  Especially during the Iowa winter months.  Most people experience symptoms either in the car, at work, or at night watching TV or reading a book.  If you go to the local supermarket, you’ll find a whole wall full of eyedrops.  It can be difficult trying to decide which eye drops to buy.  The eye doctors at Iowa EyeCare can help you best manage your dry-eye symptoms.  Sometimes we recommend over-the-counter artificial tears, environmental changes, dietary changes, and other times we might decide that a prescription medication or other treatment options are most beneficial.  Multiple treatment modalities are needed because individuals experience dry eye for different reasons. Dry eye may be due to poor lid function, poor aqueous production, poor eye-lipid production, or excessive tear drainage.

Keep in mind that all eyedrops are not created equal.  Lubricating eyedrops that are designed to combat dry eye, do so in different ways.  Before spending your money on an eye drop that may not work for you, schedule an appointment with one of our eye doctors at any of our Robins, Marion, or Cedar Rapids, Iowa, locations.

You can also learn more about Dry Eye on the Iowa EyeCare website.

 

The radiation you receive from the sun is known to cause multiple adverse eye conditions including:

• Cataract: a clouding of the lens.
• Macular Degeneration: loss of light-sensitive tissue inside the eye.
• Pterygium: a growth on the surface of the eye.
• Photokeratitis: sunburn of the eyes
• Dry Eye: inadequate tear film. 

Save Money! If you have insurance that allows you to get new frames, why not make your old glasses into sunglasses?

Get an Eye Exam! The eye doctors at Iowa EyeCare are ready to serve all of your vision care needs.  We are confident that Iowa EyeCare can provide you with the best sunglasses in Iowa.  Contact us today: Iowa EyeCare has locations in Marion, Robins, and Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Iowa LASIK

Laser vision correction has never been more precise or more safe than it is right now at Iowa EyeCare in Robins, Iowa.  We use the best equipment in the world.  We have a world-class LASIK surgeon.  Experience now what thousands of others have already discovered.

Iowa EyeCare has teamed with TLC Laser Eye Centersto provide patients with the very best LASIK experience.  Iowa EyeCare and TLC are committed to quality.  Many patients choose us because of our lifetime guarantee. 

To learn more about LASIK surgery at Iowa EyeCare schedule a free LASIK consultationwith Stacey Lensch, our Laser Vision Coordinator.  Stacey may also be reached by phone at 319-294-8888.

You can also learn more by reading our previous Blog post:

Important Facts To Know About Custom Bladeless LASIK